Recently, I heard two younger teenagers talking about how Writer’s Block made them “less” as writers. Naturally, I had to set them straight...

Five Tips for Beating Writer’s Block

Alexa Mintah

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Recently, I heard two younger teenagers talking about how Writer’s Block made them “less” as writers. Naturally, I had to set them straight.

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After I sent them on their way, though, the conversation got me thinking and it inspired me to do a post on the Infamous Villain known as Writer’s Block, along with a few tips on how to beat him.

Original Photo Credit: Pixabay

First off, some encouragement: Writer’s Block does not make you less of a writer! It is a possessive term (the block of a writer) and you have to be in the process of writing something in order to run into it. So clearly, you’re already on the right track. 😉

In all seriousness though, Writer’s Block is just another part of the process; every writer I’ve ever known, read about, or listened to has had a run-in with it at some point, and at some point (or several), you will as well. However, this does not mean you should stick around with it or stay imprisoned by the nasty beast, so here are a few of my favorite tips for making your way away.

Tip 1: Take a Break

My first advice for any kind of writerly trouble is always take a break. If you’ve been working on the project for a while and you just don’t see it going anywhere, step back; it may be that your brain is exhausted and just needs some time to pull together all of its thoughts and things, so you can fully formulate your incredible story. So, take an hour off. Or a day or a week or several weeks. Go for a walk, watch a movie, read a book, talk to those odd strangers who live in the same house with you (I hear they’re called “family”?). Just do something, or a bunch of things, that have nothing to do with your book—but always keep your book in the back of your mind so you remember, you must return to it at some point.

If you’ve already taken a break (or you’ve been procrastinating your manuscript for quite some time now), then the only way out is through: it is time to butt-in-chair and get to writing.

Which brings us to:

Tip 2: Freewrite

As a pantser, freewriting makes up about 99.9% of my first draft, anyway, but even if you’re a hardcore plotter or a midway plantser, I recommend trying it. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes, sit down in front of your document, and ask yourself, what needs to happen for the plot to move forward? Chances are, you actually have two-thirds of an idea, you just feel like you don’t know how to write it.

So write it anyway. Write that exactly: that you don’t know what you’re doing. Write that your protagonist needs to go here, but he won’t because of this secondary character over there and the villain isn’t acting the way you told her to when you flipping created her, and honestly who do they all think they are, because frankly, the whole cast is annoying the crap out of you right now.

Write all of it. Write like you’re insane. Sound like you’re insane. You can always delete this later, and the funny thing about these freewriting sessions is that you might start writing the actual story. Through getting your thoughts out on paper, you often figure out where you were having that block, as well as how you can begin to tear it down.

Another half tip: if it’s possible, talk out loud while you’re freewriting. For me, the words don’t always come when I try to go directly from brain to page, but I find that when I can hear myself thinking out loud, the words I want to say come together much easier.

(No, this isn’t how this very blog post was created. Heh heh. Has nothing at all to do with this).

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3. The Index Card Method

I got this one from GTW years ago, and they got it from Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. The idea is, on a set of index cards or pieces of scrap paper (that’s what I end up using), write down a bunch of characters, settings, and plot points from your novel, one story element for each piece of paper. Fold them or lay them facedown so you can’t see what the writing is. Mix them up in a bowl or scramble them around on the floor, pick three cards at random, and write a scene using those three elements. Of course, a lot of these will be too random to actually put in the story (although, honestly, it can be pretty funny to just see what you come up with), but if you go through this method a few times, you’re likely to find a few gems. I’ve filled several plotholes using this and even started new storylines that’ll carry portions of my series The Supernatural Projects. Once, I even got my family to play along by having them pick the cards for me; explaining the meaning behind the story elements was interesting, haha, but it can also be helpful to talk about your story with someone who doesn’t understand it. If they’re supportive, they can bounce around ideas and brainstorm with you, plus, like I said before, hearing yourself talk can often help you figure out what exactly you need to do next.

4. Use Other Art

Return to that break-time when you were experiencing other parts of life and resting away from your story. Did you watch something, read something, hear or see something interesting? Is there any way you can include this art in your story (not plagiarizing, of course, but legitimately include it)? Once, when I was writing an early draft of Low Expectations, I drew this really random illustration: a very strange roses, thorns, and Humpty Dumpty compilation. I stared at it, trying to figure out where my brain had been such that that had ended up in my sketchbook… and then decided I wanted to put it in my story. While I ended up switching that drawing for one that held more weight in the story, the scene it inspired is still a pivotal moment and it helps trigger the big decision Elliot makes at the climax. All of that to say, is there anything in your life that can springboard an important moment or simply start the next scene? Use it.

5. The Fun Parts

These are the extra tidbits like character worksheets and interviews (this post and this page have several links for that sort of thing), Pinterest boards and playlists, things like that. Don’t spend too much time on these, but I think, when limited, they are productive because they help you get to know your characters and thereby understand what decisions they would naturally make. Even if you’ve planned this story from point A to point Z, you have to know if this is a decision your character would actually want to make. And if it isn’t, you have to know how to get people around them to push them headlong into it.

So, basically, when people ask why you spent an hour on Pinterest, YouTube, and Spotify, you can tell them you’re building up a treasure trove of inspiration for when Writer’s Block hits.

And then, of course, get back to writing. 😉

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I hope you enjoyed this different kind of post and that it was helpful to you! Have you had Writer’s Block lately? Got any more tips for getting through it? Can’t wait to hear from you and I’ll see you in the comment section!

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